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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment numbers went up in July, following a statewide trend, according to a new report.
The California Employment Development Department's latest report puts Lake County's July unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, up from 12 percent in June but down from 14.9 percent in July 2012.
Statewide unemployment was 8.7 percent in July, up from 8.5 percent in June but down from 10.6 percent in July 2012, according to the report.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate in July was 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent in June and down from 8.2 percent in July 2012, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
The Employment Development Department said that since January 2013, California's unemployment rate has decreased by 1.1 percent, including back-to-back 0.4 percentage point drops in April and May.
The number of people unemployed in California was 1,622,000 – up by 29,000 over the month, but down by 328,000 compared with July of last year, the report said.
California’s nonfarm payroll jobs totaled 14,653,000 in July, an increase of 38,100 jobs over the month and a year over increase of 236,400 jobs, according to a survey of businesses. The report said California has gained 807,700 jobs since the economic recovery began in February 2010.
A federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed a decrease in the number of employed people. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in July was 16,988,000, a decrease of 65,000 from June 2013, but up 468,000 from the employment total in July of last year.
Lake County's civilian workforce in July totaled 25,060, compared to 25,540 in June and 25,710 in July 2012, according to the Employment Development Department records.
Amongst local industries, mining, logging and construction showed the largest gain in July, with 50 jobs, or a 15.2-percent increase. Other industries showing slight increases included professional and business services; trade, transportation and utilities; and other services.
Decreases occurred in total farm, service providing, information, financial activities, educational and health services, leisure and hospitality, and government.
During the July survey week, the Employment Development Department reported that there were 510,998 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits, compared with 445,971 in June and 518,605 in July 2012.
New claims for unemployment insurance were 67,382 in July 2013, compared with 66,122 in June and 52,336 in July of last year, the state reported.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Veterans Affairs Clinic will host an open house for the community on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the clinic, 15145 Lakeshore Drive.
Veterans, family members, and friends are invited to stop by the Clearlake VA Clinic Open House for a tour and to learn more about various programs and health care services for veterans.
The clinic offers a wide array of services from primary medical care, outpatient mental health, podiatry, women’s care and basic dermatology, to social work, nutritional counseling, marriage and family therapy, and much more.
A VA chaplain is available every third Thursday, and Member Services representatives are at the clinic every other Thursday. Member Services can help with billing issues, getting or updating a veteran ID card, enrolling in VA healthcare, and with annual required financial updates.
Clearlake VA Clinic offers video telehealth (VTEL) technology in many specialty areas which allows Veteran patients to come to the Clearlake clinic and be seen over a VTEL monitor by a provider at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).
This saves patients time, and “wear and tear” on themselves from having to travel over a hundred miles to receive top quality VA medical treatment.
For more information about this event call Clearlake VA Clinic Administrative Officer Wendy Carter at 707-995-7204.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A teenager who previously served as a St. Mary Immaculate Parish altar boy has sued the Diocese of Santa Rosa, alleging he was sexually abused by a former priest.
The law firm of Manly, Stewart & Finaldi filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 16-year-old plaintiff, identified as “John JC Doe,” on Tuesday in Sonoma County Superior Court, according to attorney Skye Daley.
This suit alleges that the late Father Ted Oswald sexually abused John JC Doe while he was serving as an altar boy and participating in the parish youth group under Oswald’s supervision.
Dan Galvin, the diocese's attorney, said Wednesday that he hadn't yet seen the complaint and therefore couldn't offer any comment.
Oswald, who died in July 2010 at age 65, was put on leave and later retired after a 2008 lawsuit was filed against him and the diocese in Sonoma County Superior Court by Tracy resident Christopher Griego, as Lake County News has reported.
Oswald had been a chaplain for Lakeport Police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office and had been released from those duties after the first allegations were made.
At that time, Oswald – who had served as parish priest for 20 years – vehemently denied the allegations both to the diocese and in a Lake County News interview. The Vietnam veteran and former police officer had said he wanted his day in court to defend his reputation.
Griego, who alleged Oswald had abused him between 1988 and 1995, originally had sought $2.5 million in the case, which later was joined by another plaintiff. The diocese settled that case before trial in 2009 for $1.3 million.
Daley said there is no demand for a specified dollar amount in this latest suit, which accuses the diocese and the parish of failing to protect the plaintiff – and all children – from Oswald. Daley said they plan on leaving the final award up to a jury to decide.
The teenage plaintiff began discussing the alleged abuse with his family during the past year, said Daley. He said Oswald's death had removed the boy's fear of reprisal.
The complaint alleges that the diocese knew that Oswald was a danger to children. Daley said the diocese has “a very long history” of employing priests accused of sexual abuse, dating back to the 1970s. He said he's personally tallied more than a dozens priests and three bishops involved in abuse since that time.
“They have no excuse in terms of not knowing what to look for,” he said.
Daley said Oswald wasn't put on leave until “months and months” after the allegations involved in the Griego case surfaced, and was allowed to continue with his duties of hearing confessions from minors, overseeing altar servers, running youth programs, counseling programs and church-sponsored trips and events.
It's alleged that the abuse of John JC Doe began sometime around 2007 and lasted for a one-year period, beginning with Oswald traveling to the boy's home under the guise of providing spiritual guidance and support to his family.
The suit alleges that the sexual abuse began after Oswald hired the boy to wash his motor coach, which was parked in front of Oswald’s Lakeport home.
Oswald allegedly invited the boy to come inside his home, where he would sexually abuse and harass him. The suit accuses Oswald of giving the alleged victim alcohol and groping him. Abuse also is alleged to have taken place inside the back office at St. Mary Immaculate.
Daley said that because the plaintiff is a minor, he must sue for a guardian ad litem, with those papers expected to be signed soon by the court. The diocese can then be served with the papers and discovery can began 15 days later.
“We intend to start the discovery process immediately,” said Daley.
He said there is no standard length of time for such cases, that he expects this case could go to trial within the next two years.
All the previous cases against Oswald have settled before trial. Daley said in reference to this current litigation, “We intend to try the case,” although he acknowledged sometimes it's in the plaintiff's best interest to settle beforehand.
Daley said his firm's first goal in dealing with priest sex abuse cases is to achieve healing for clients, and then to effectuate some sort of change within the diocese and the Catholic Church to protect children.
He added, “We're hopeful that this suit, as other suits in the past have, will prompt some sort of police investigation.”
Daley suggested such an investigation would look at whether anyone within the diocese was a mandated reported.
“These are all questions we can't answer right now,” Daley said.
The legal actions against Oswald have so far not involved a criminal component, but have been handled in civil court.
In 2008, local law enforcement officials told Lake County News that they had never received any criminal complaint against Oswald and so hadn't pursued criminal case investigations against him at that point.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said Wednesday that he was unaware of any reports involving allegations of Oswald abusing minors being submitted to his agency within the last three years.
“We definitely haven't had any reports or allegations in the past year,” he said, which is the time period when John JC Doe began discussing the allegations with his family, according to Daley.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – It is not too late to reserve a spot for this Sunday, Aug. 25, for a fun and interesting social evening at the Moore Family Winery, presented by the Lake County Land Trust.
The fundraiser will benefit the Boggs Lake Reserve on Mt. Hannah and is just $30 per person with tickets including wine, appetizers, and a fascinating presentation by vernal pool ecologist, Carol Witham.
The event begins at 5 p.m.
Witham will present a virtual tour of the wonders of vernal pools, and discuss answers to questions such as: “What makes a vernal pool?” and “Why are they found almost nowhere but California?”
A special feature of this event will be a short field trip at Boggs Lake, led by Witham.
The field trip will start at 3:30 p.m. and is only open to those supporting the fundraiser.
Boggs Lake Reserve is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy and is being co-managed by the Lake County Land Trust. It is a vernal pool featuring some of the most unique native plans in the state of California.
This would be a good opportunity to learn about the beautiful flowers and plants that you could see at the reserve in the spring.
“Vernal pools provide a kaleidoscope of brilliant life as the pools progress through seasonal transitions from wet to dry,” said Lake County Land Trust Executive Director Cathy Koehler.
The Moore Family Winery is located at 1990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville.
To make reservations, please call 707-262-0707 or email
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A small number of Teamsters members who had taken part in a Lake Transit strike earlier this month are being allowed to return to work, and one of Lake County's congressmen has urged the two sides in the strike to return to the bargaining table.
Teamsters Local 665 members went out on an indefinite strike on July 29, citing a breakdown in negotiations with Lake Transit's operator, Paratransit Services, as Lake County News has reported.
The 28 striking workers voted on Aug. 15 to return to work unconditionally in an effort to restore transit services.
Paratransit Services, which said it had hired a number of permanent replacement workers during the strike, has recalled two drivers and a dispatcher from among the Teamsters members, said Christie Scheffer, Paratransit Services' executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The remaining 25 employees who returned from the strike have been placed on a preferential recall list, and will be brought back as openings occur based on seniority, Scheffer said.
Paratransit Services and Teamsters Local 665 continued to trade allegations on Wednesday.
Scheffer said the union was responsible for harassing drivers and creating safety hazards, and suggested the Teamsters may be violating the Homeland Security Act.
There have been at least three such incidents this week resulting in significant safety concerns, Scheffer said. Other incidents happened earlier this month and last month.
She said Paratransit Services representatives met with the California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday to coordinate response to future safety issues.
The union responded by calling the allegations “ridiculous.”
The Teamsters also continued to criticize Paratransit Services for failing to restore services completely. Lake Transit said that services won't be fully restored until Sept. 3.
The union maintains the new drivers Paratransit Services hired during the strike can't be properly trained in such a short period of time, and said that Paratransit Services has failed to bring back all the striking workers because they would have been allowed to work under terms in place prior to the strike.
Since the strike ended, Paratransit Services has brought new proposals, including a demand to forgo seniority as it pertains to shift bids and assignments, and attempted to make all near-term discussions “a one-way street,” the union said.
On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson sent Teamsters Local 665 President Ralph Miranda and Paratransit Services a letter urging the two sides to return to negotiations as soon as possible, noting the service stoppage is having a “devastating effect” on riders.
“The riders should not be held hostage while management and the drivers attempt to reach an agreement,” wrote Thompson. “Therefore I strongly urge Paratransit Services Inc. to accept the union's offer for drivers to return work while negotiations continue.”
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Caltrans is urging travelers who will be making a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Labor Day weekend to plan ahead, choose an alternate route now, and allow plenty of extra travel time because the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be closed.
The bridge will be shut down from 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28, until 5 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, while workers take the bridge’s original East Span out of service and open the new bridge to traffic.
Anyone interested in more details about the closure should visit http://baybridgeinfo.org/ , call 511 for traffic updates or visit http://511.org/ to find out which other Bay Area bridges are available as detour routes.
Nearly 300,000 motorists daily cross the iconic bridge that connects San Francisco with Oakland, Berkeley and other East Bay cities.
Thanks to the public heeding previous warnings, Caltrans successfully closed the bridge without significant traffic backups during Labor Day weekends in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Taking advantage of historically light traffic on the bridge during the holiday weekend helps minimize disruptions to motorists, residents and businesses.